Tracking citrus-damaging insects in Florida

Top: Guy Davies shows a dead insect he found in an orange grove on May 13, in Fort Pierce, Fla. Bottom: Tangerines are seen in a bin as the citrus industry tries to find a cure for the disease "citrus greening" in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Guy Davies, an inspector with the Florida Division of Plant Industry, checks an orange tree for the insect Asian citrus psyllid that carries the bacterium causing disease, "citrus greening" or huanglongbing, from tree to tree on May 13, in Fort Pierce, Fla. Davis is part of a team trying to track the movement of the insect. There is no known cure for the disease that forms when the insect deposits the bacterium on citrus trees causing the leaves on the tree to turn yellow, the roots to decay, and bitter fruits to fall off the dying branches prematurely. Steps continue to be taken to try and combat the disease, but none have stopped the attack on the citrus business as it spreads from Florida to other citrus producing states.